The Ultimate How To Guide
by Magna Parva
Summary: Everything you'll ever need to know to make it big in the fanfic industry. Second chapter: How to accept constructive criticism. Want to know? READ! -Sarcasm and minor insults abound. I'm warning you!- "WRITING SUMMARIES" is by CONFUSEDKNIGHT!
1. Giving Constructive Criticism

**Hi guys! Ok, I realise that this isn't actually a story, but that's not the point. I thought that it would be important to get this out to everyone as soon as possible. Why? Because I've been banking this idea for yonks, waiting for the right moment to come along for me to post it up. Heather the Writer was the last push I needed. Now. this is my How To Guide. Each week, I'll post up a new chapter, full of tips. Please read them. You'll need the help.**

* * *

**How To...**

**Give Constructive Criticism**

* * *

In a Private Message to a fellow author:

_Hi. I'm not picking on you randomly; this is me on a crusade to help people get better. Do you know how to recognise mistakes or do you choose to ignore them? PLEASE point them out when you review someone's story! Please? _

_Let me start again. I came across a story just earlier, and thought I'd take a look at it. I opened it up... and hated it. _

_The formatting was rubbish; the author has awful spelling and punctuation; and has no sense of dialogue structure. I thought, 'Maybe, just maybe, if someone can point out where she's going wrong, I'd be able to read this story if she fixes it.' _

_So, I went into her review box and the very first thing that popped up in front of me was YOUR REVIEW. -Remember, I'm not picking on you- I'm sorry, but it slightly peeved me off. I mean, of course, you have every right to enjoy a story if you like it, but could you at least have the decency to provide constructive criticism? After all, that is one of the most important parts of reviewing._

_(Hm... now I come to think of it, I'll add this to my guide.)_

_But, I'm not trying to offend you by sending you this PM. I'm just... trying to help the TP fandom get back on it's feet. Too many people these days are becoming lazy..._

_Ciao!_

_KJ_

--

Did everyone read that PM? Yes? Still don't get what I'm saying? Read on!

Of course, you're probably thinking, 'She's the Queen of Bitches. Why would she care if we didn't tell someone that they sucked?'

Heh. That's not necessarily true. I'm blunt, not bitchy. And it's because I don't like to waste time. This, however, does not mean that I wouldn't care if a story went down the drain. There's still chance to save it!

OK! Let's get started! First thing you want to do when you see a story is... read it, of course. Right? Yup. So you open the link up and start reading. How fun. No, really. It can be; when the story's written properly, you'll love it! However, you don't always get so lucky... but sometimes you don't realise. (NOTE: I am NOT trying to insult any of you here.)

So, what do you do? Well, some people ignore it and carry on, as the author above is wont to do, as is proved in the above message to her. Of course, this is quite a common reaction amongst the fanfic readers of today. But it doesn't mean it's a GOOD reaction. Besides, leaving a review which basically consists of "OMG!! I _freaking LOVE it!!_" kinda leaves an impression that you're not very intelligent. Do you _really_ mean to do that?

Other people, like myself, can either choose to flame the story, provide constructive criticism or just leave the story altogether. Heh. While the first and last options both sound rather tempting at times, they aren't always the best option to take. Why? Because do that and you have a disaster on your hands – the writer will carry on, oblivious to the glaring flaws.

So. How would you remedy that? Easy. Constructive criticism. Option B. Don't like the sound of it? Tough. As a writer myself, I understand the urgency of this particular type of feedback, especially on a site such as this.

Look at it this way: FanFiction(dot)Net is supposed to be a haven for writers who want to develop their skills. Now, they can't do that without help. From _us_. Yes. You may write your own story, but we are a _community_ of authors. It's all about teamwork. Seriously; I really do believe it's up to all of us to help each other improve. There are so many talented authors out there who just need that extra push to be able to shine.

Still reading? Good. I love you too.

**Step 1**: Read the story. Enjoy it if you like it.

**Step 2**: Keep an eye out for simple mistakes. These include spelling, grammar and punctuation. You may not be the best beta, but that's ok. As long as you can recognise areas for the writer to improve on, you've done your job as best as it could be done.

**Step 3**: If you're an older reader, and I mean fourteen or above, you should by now be able to spot the more complex problems in a story. Help the writer out with them – highlight anything which you believe needs work on, be it character development, dialogue, monologues, tenses, use of imagery, etc. This stuff is _important_. You know these things; apply them to everyday life.

**Step 4**: If it's a cliché, and an overdone and badly written one at that, tell them at once. There are _way_ too many 'Kel and Dom love each other and have decided to play tricks on Meathead!' stories on this site. Seriously. I mean, it's enough to drive me homicidal. Nor am I the only one who feels this way. They are not, in any way, original and are very boring. I suppose if you're the simple-minded sort, you'd like it though. Heh.

**Step 5**: Decide how to phrase your constructive criticism. Some people, like myself, may choose to go for the blunt approach. Other people may choose to sweeten their words a bit. But make sure you get your message across. If the person doesn't respond immediately, don't give up. Try again. It will eventually get through their heads and they'll realise how helpful you've been.

**Step 6**: If needed, advise them to get a beta. 'What is a beta?' I hear you ask. An editor. That is what a beta is. S/he checks over your stories/poems to ensure that you do not lose face by making the most elementary of mistakes. Capisce? They can also help you with your ideas and assist in fleshing out a plot if necessary.

**Step 7**: Send the review.

Now, I bet a whole bunch of you guys are thinking, 'What a hypocrite!'

Yes, I can be at times; it's only human. But at the same time, please take into account that I have been on this site for the past five years; and I've seen a _heck_ of a lot of fanfiction pass through this site. The earlier pieces in particular, and I'm talking about the Kel/Neal, Kel/Joren and Kel/Cleon pairings here, were, to be completely honest, _way_ better than the majority of today's pieces.

Some of the Golden Oldies are still about (or so I've been told) and they, if anyone, know how to get _and give_ proper feedback. One example would be... oh! PsychoLioness. She's _definitely _still around. If you haven't ever read any of her stories yet, I suggest you go do so. She is amazing. Then again, she probably wouldn't have gotten to that stage without help from others.

Get my point?

Ciao!

_- abyssgirl_


	2. Accepting Constructive Criticism

**I tried my best to make this as concise as possible. _Without_ being overtly rude. Ack. Enjoy.**

* * *

**How to...**

**Receive Constructive Criticism**

* * *

In a review from _xxTunstall Chickxx_:

_See, you gave me advice the blunt way, which I greatly appreciate. Me, on the other hand, like to sweeten my CCs up a bit so that the author doesn't feel bad. Not that they should, but (shrugs) a lot of them give me hell for pointing out minor mistakes. Something about 'them being older than me therefore better' rubbish..._

In the following Private Message from _xxTunstall Chickxx_:

_About my giving advice to authors... I'm not about to stop. I'll give advice to anyone I decreed needs it, regardless of how old they are._

--

This section should be quite brief – how much do you really need to know about accepting being criticised?

See those two statements above? They both annoyed me to High Hell and back – not because she says she'll do what she wants but because of the problem she mentioned. So! That - learning to accept being criticised - is what I will be discussing in this chapter. I hope you're all sitting comfortably...

When a person makes an account on a website like this, they not only come here to read the works of art available for their leisure, but they also come here to join and contribute to the community of authors. By making their membership official, they become vulnerable to any hurtful comments which may be directed their way. ... Bleh. This is boring me. Let's get straight to the point, shall we?

You write a story and you want a review. (_How_ to get that review will be discussed in a later chapter.) So, then you see that someone has reviewed your story/poem. Happy yet? I would be. But when you go to open it... you may or may not like what it contains.

Mwahaha. I love scaring people.

Sorry.

But, yeah. If you don't mind people criticising your work, good on you! People will like you better for it and you'll be more likely to improve in your writing! However, on the (rather large) probability that you don't like it... scroll down and keep reading.

So you didn't like the review. You might start thinking things like, 'Well, what does _she_ know? I mean, she must be, what? At least _three_ years younger than me!' or things like... 'Of _course_ I know what I'm doing! And I'm doing a damn well good job of it too!' or the worst: 'OH MY DAYS!! SHE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT!! THAT'S IT!! I'M DRAGGING MY CYBER-TORCH OUT AND SENDING HER A FLAME!!'

Ahem. Now, you must remember that I'm not saying that you'd do that – what I _am_ saying is that some people get a little... how shall I put it? Ah! Arrogant - that's the word! Some people get a little arrogant after writing some supposedly wonderful story that received maybe a thousand reviews in its lifetime. Then they decide to up and write another one; and it all goes well until one day – shock! Horror! They receive a review telling them that they need to improve somewhere. The weakness may be very minor, but the author will regard it as personal threat to their (pride and vanity) career.

Why? Hah.

Oh, it was merely because the reviewer was some younger, less well known author. Nothing wrong with ignoring them then. Why would there be?!

Note the sarcastic tone that I am using. It means that I absolutely _hate _people like that. Why? Let's just say that I've seen it happen too many times before. That sort of thing sucks. You have no right to assume that, just because someone's younger than you, they don't know anything. Would you like it if they did that to you? No!

Besides, by now you should be used to being given suggestions on how to improve your work; I don't know about you, but I get told all the time – by friends, by teachers, by family members. So. Suck it up and put a smile on your face – or if not a smile, for God's sake, don't _cry_. Look at the criticism as a challenge for you to take, and when you take their advice and the benefits start showing in your writing, you'll probably thank them for helping you out.

Here's an example of someone improving:

_Before: _The boy was ten. He was sick. He threw up. _OR__:_ My mum dose not lick choclat.

_Reviewer: _I would suggest that you work on your sentence structure. _OR:_ Try to improve your spelling.

_After: _The ten year old was so sick that he threw up. _OR:_ My mum doesn't like chocolate.

See the improvements? I know that most of you guys probably don't write as bad as that, but, hey. It's an example of someone bettering themselves. After all, it's only human.

Au revoir!

_- abyssgirl_


	3. Spotting Mary Sues

**How to…**

**Spot a Mary Sue**

_Violet eyes flashing, she leapt into action. No one could defeat her. As she ducked and swerved the villain's sword, her long lustrous hair billowed out behind her. With the grace of a cat, she advanced mercilessly towards her opponent. Her thin figure belied her status as 'King's Fighter'. Trained in fifteen different weapons – all to an exemplary level – Hunter was the most outstanding warrior, but, having started at the age of five, who could be surprised? With a deft movement, she disarmed her opponent._

"_I thought I warned you last time," she spat, as she wrapped the rope, that she handily carried with her at all times, around his wrists._

_The man snorted at her, and suddenly, with a pit of dread forming in her stomach, Hunter recognised him. "You…you…" she stuttered._

"_Yes, me," he replied with a small, but evil smile._

_That smile brought Hunter back years, to the murder of her parents. She had only been five, but she remembered it like it was yesterday – the smell of burning flesh, the screams of agony, her mysterious rescue from the burning building, and the sinister note nailed to the tree in their garden. 'Above all in these earthly realms, you shall succeed. To conquer evil will be your calling. Where others have failed, you shall succeed, but not without a price – those who you love most shall die. This, my child, is just the start.' _

"_I should run you through," Hunter hissed, her deep and sensual voice breaking the silence._

_He looked at her, and she thought she saw fear in his eyes. "Do what you wish."_

_Reaching down to pull a dagger from her boot, Hunter heard a voice. "My child, do not. This is not your path. Forgive. He shall become your greatest ally." Looking up, she saw the vanishing figure of her Goddess._

"_As you say, my Lady." After all, if Hunter was the Goddess Select One, who was she to question divine will?_

For some of you, that may be your first experience with a Mary Sue. For most of you though, I expect you've seen something like that before, although perhaps not so exaggerated. There will be more about 'Hunter' later – but for now, a definition for those of you who are unsure what a Mary Sue is.

A Mary Sue (or, in its masculine form, the Gary Sue) is a character who is too good to be true. Wikipedia defines it better than I probably could, as a character that plays a 'major role in the plot on such a scale that suspension of disbelief fails due to the character's traits, skills and abilities being tenuously or inadequately justified.' In plain English, for those of you who got lost in that, your Mary Sue is someone who is so perfect, who always save the day, and has the most amazing skills and abilities. She is the sort of person you want to strangle. The one who seems to fit judo, karate, swimming, archery, book club, highland dancing, disco dancing, Guides, helping out with Brownies, a Saturday job, saving the world, and still manages to get a string of As at school whilst all the while looking perfect.

For me, the Mary Sue character type is my most dreaded. Writers of varying skills and abilities produce Mary Sues at some time in their writing careers. Heck, I've done it – a lot. But a Mary Sue does not make for an entertaining story. She is the character that is most likely to turn the readers that you want to keep (those who can give you constructive criticism and know what they're talking about) off of your story.

So, some defining qualities of the Mary or Gary Sue:

**A tragic background**, often involving the murder of parents right in front of their eyes from which they (often, but not always) suffer flashbacks

**An appearance so totally out of place with their time or profession** – in 'Hunter's case above, the 'billowing hair' is ridiculous. Think it through. She's a fighter, she isn't going to have gorgeous hair that she leaves hanging loose. It's totally impractical. An opponent could pull it, she could get it trapped etc. Eye colour is another common one – characters with violet eyes (sorry all you Alanna lovers out there) are regular Mary Sues – but it isn't just limited to violet, it could be 'ice blue' or 'flashing green' etc

**A ridiculous skill with weapons**. If you have a character who is the best fighter in the land with twenty different weapons, then you've got a Mary Sue on your hands. Again, think it through. Take an Olympic swimmer for example. They train regularly and follow an exhausting schedule to reach world standard in _one_ sport. Sure, their general fitness level and stamina levels would allow them to be better at running than your average Joe – but they're not going to be an Olympic swimmer, runner, boxer, fencer and cyclist. The same applies for your character. For a Tamora Pierce example, think of Alanna. Her primary weapon is her sword – which she trained hard to master. You don't hear of her amazing abilities with a bow, or axe. Even when she learns Shang, she has to start at the beginning.

Alright, that was three qualities. Other common ones include an arch nemesis whom the Mary Sue has to defeat (or redeem – this is common in Tamora Pierce fanfics. Think Kel/Joren), names that describe his or her character, a strange pet, immense popularity and the undying love and affection of the best-looking character in the book. As you're reading this, I'm sure many characters you've written, thought out, or have read on this site come to mind. But I expect you see these character traits in books published by renown authors and novelists – including our beloved Tamora Pierce. I can hear the cries of protest and agony now.

Let me get one thing clear: I am not saying that she is a bad writer – it's hardly for me to criticise her writing. I am simply saying that her characters fit a lot of those categories. Is that a bad thing? I'll let you make your mind up. It sells her books, certainly, and makes for an entertaining story. But what you have to remember is that her characters are flawed – Alanna has her anger, Kel her reticence, Neal his stupidity, Raoul his hatred of social functions, Jon his ability to be dense…the list goes on. Some of her characters (i.e. Dom) have a little less going for them – Dom serves a purpose. He is the eye-candy, a character used to explore Kel's character…but enough of that. Suffice to say, as a reader, I prefer the Dom created by some of the skilled writers on here, the one with the background and personality.

Back on topic, the Mary Sue. Within fanfiction, Mary Sues are rife. When we start out writing, we write our dreams – what and who we would like to be. And be honest, who wouldn't like to be an amazing all-rounder? And whilst we're learning to write, this is great. It serves a purpose: you don't need to think about characterisation and can focus on improving your writing skills. But eventually, characterisation is something you need to learn. I would be the last one to say that it is wrong for you to write a Mary Sue – I write them on a regular basis when I want to practise a certain part of my writing, or experiment with a new style. But writing them without knowing? That is something that needs to be stopped. When I first posted a fic on this site at the age of 13 (ouch – that was six years ago!), the only characters it contained were Mary and Gary Sues. Thankfully, I was hastily put on track by some of the more experienced writers here, to whom I am forever grateful!

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that Mary Sue is a wonderful character to write, but you have to be aware of what you are inflicting on the world! Many of the more experienced readers/writers are not going to want to read your Mary Sue story, and you won't get the chance to improve your writing. You'll simply get those 'wow i luv it' reviews that are great to boost your ego and useless for improving.

If you've got a character that you want to check and see if it is a Mary Sue, there are several good Mary Sue litmus tests out there. The one I use is the first to come up in Google if you type in 'Mary Sue litmus test'. It has tick boxes, so is simple to use. A litmus test isn't the answer to everything, but it'll tell you if you're going in the right direction!

Ciao for now,

_Hannah - **PsychoLioness**_


	4. Writing Summaries

**How to...**

**Write Summaries**

So you've gone ahead and written the first, tentative chapter of a new story but before you can upload anything you're faced with the task of adding a title and summary.

A title may or may not be a problem. The only advice I can give here is not to leave it as '_untitled for now'_. There just seems to be something terribly uninteresting about a story without a name.

The summary however, seems to pose more of a problem and is something that a lot of new writers struggle with.

On fanfiction(dot)net the summary is effectively the "cover" to your story, and although we're told not to judge a book by its cover, let's face it; the summary is terribly important. This is because unless you're currently experiencing an obsession with Tamora Pierce fanfiction and are reading every single story that is uploaded (I'm sure we have all been there…) the summary is something that we scan over and decide if we want to spend the next few seconds/minutes/hours of our life reading your fanfiction.

This is the advice I give (but I don't pretend to be an expert on this by any means):

**Number 1**

Assuming that you want your work to be read, never, ever, under any circumstances write '_**I suck at summaries'**_! or _**'Sorry if it's bad'**_!

This does not in anyway make your story appealing to the perusing reader, and in fact convinces them that their time would be better spent elsewhere.

Even if you think your summary is bad, please, please don't advertise this fact to the world!

**Number 2**

Spelling and grammar. If there is a summary that has absolutely no capital letters, punctuation and abysmal spelling, then it is very likely that the story within will contain the same deficit of grammar and spelling. This is very off-putting for a potential reader.

"kel goes to a secrte land and saves the king from deeth she falls in love with cleon how will she react when dom anounces his luv for her"

Is an example of a poor quality summary.

**Number 3**

Text language and abbreviations.

Please don't use words such as 'cos', 'cuz', 'u', 'thnx' & 'luv'.

Whilst appropriate on texts or IM conversations, you need to convince readers that you can write in proper English.

However there are some abbreviations that are fine. These include popular pairings written as 'DN' for Daine/Numair, or 'AU' meaning alternative-universe.

These help to give readers and idea of the content of your story without using up too many characters of your summary!

**Number 4**

Don't try to entice readers in by saying '_Please, please give this a try, it's my first fanfic.'_

This is a common thing to do and really it just wastes space. Use your summary to advertise your **story**. Then, if you want to, write an author's note in the actual chapter explaining that it is your first attempt at writing and you would like some constructive criticism.

Summaries _are tricky_ things to write, especially given that you have only a few lines to do it in. But if you follow the advice above then you should be able to come up with a passable one.

Some suggestions if you're struggling:

-Why not ask a friend/beta to read it and see which bits they like?

-Write something, even if you think it's terrible and come back to it an hour later. Often your mind will be clearer and you can adjust the summary accordingly.

Most importantly, don't stress about a summary, it can always (easily) be altered if the plot changes, or if you're not happy with it.

I hope that you find this useful :D (And I also hope that lots of 'I suck at summaries' start disappearing –SPREAD THE WORD PEOPLE!)

Happy New Year to you all,

**Confusedknight xx**


End file.
